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Be Proactive With Your Oral Health

Be Proactive With Your Oral Health

Most of us realize that diet and exercise play an important part in keeping us healthy. But did you know that a healthy mouth is also an important part of a healthy body?

Poor oral health can affect a person’s quality of life. Oral pain, missing teeth or oral infections can influence the way a person speaks, eats and socializes. These oral health problems can reduce a person’s quality of life by affecting their physical, mental and social well-being.

Oral disease, like any other disease, needs to be treated. A chronic infection, including one in the mouth, is a serious problem that should not be ignored. Yet bleeding or tender gums are often overlooked.

Research has shown there is an association between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, respiratory illness in older adults, as well as pre-term and low-birth-weight babies. Although researchers are just beginning to understand this relationship, evidence shows that oral disease can aggravate other health problems and that keeping a healthy mouth is an important part of leading a healthy life.

Be proactive with your oral health. It’s easy when you follow these 5 Steps to a Healthy Mouth, as put forward by the Canadian Dental Association.

1. Keep your mouth clean

Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

Wait at least 20–30 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth.

Floss every day.

Eat a well-balanced diet.

Limit foods and beverages containing sugar or carbohydrates.

Ideal snack foods: cheese, nuts, vegetables, and non-acidic fruits.

Look for oral care products with the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) Seal.

2. Check your mouth regularly

Look for signs of gum disease:

Red, shiny, puffy, sore or sensitive gums

Bleeding when you brush or floss

Bad breath that won’t go away

Look for signs of oral cancer:

Bleeding or open sores that don’t heal

White or red patches

Numbness or tingling

Small lumps and thickening on the sides or bottom of your tongue, the floor or roof of your mouth, the inside of your cheeks, or on your gums

3. Eat well

4. See your dentist regularly

48% of Canadians who haven’t seen a dentist in the past year have gum disease. Regular dental exams and professional cleanings are the best way to prevent and detect problems before they get worse. Has it been a while since you last saw a dentist?

You can now schedule an appointment with one of the dentists at Dr. John Drummond & Associates online or call us at (514) 484-0521.

5. Don’t smoke or chew tobacco

Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer, heart disease, gum disease, and a variety of other cancers.

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Mon - Thurs: 8:00 - 17:00
Friday - 8:00 - 16:00

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Why We Do What We Do

We deal in smiles. We fix them. We straighten them. We make them brighter. But, most of all, we do our best to encourage them in our patients. Because a smile often leads to a laugh. And laughter, after all, is the best medicine.